The present invention generally relates to a magnetic tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus and, more particularly, to a compact magnetic tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus of a type utilizing a cassette tape.
Various types of magnetic tape recording and/or reproducing apparatuses (which apparatuses are herein referred to as "cassette tape players") are currently commercially available. These include, for example, cassette tape decks for high fidelity recording and/or reproduction of sound information, combined radio receiver and tape recorders, portable tape recorders and others. While the tape players available nowaday are many in type, it is a recent trend, and so is very popular, to use a portable tape player in the enjoyment of listening to stereophonic sound information with the use of a pair of head-phones.
The portable tape player suited for use in the above described manner is, although not exclusively limited thereto, the type which utilizes a cassette tape. The player utilizing the cassette tape, i.e., cassette tape player, is currently manufactured compact in size without the slightest reduction in capability of recording and/or reproducing sound information in high fidelity.
The prior art compact cassette tape player is generally composed of three major components, a holder unit for accommodating a cassette tape, an internal mechanism including electric circuits, and an operating mechanism including manipulatable switching and control buttons. As the compact cassette tape player under production nowadays becomes smaller and smaller to a size approximating to the size of the tape cassette, so is each of the manipulatable function buttons to a size too small to be touched by the user's or operator's finger without the neighboring button or buttons being inadvertently manipulated. Thus, the prior art compact cassette tape player has a disadvantage in handling convenience.
When it comes to another type of prior art compact cassette tape player wherein the manipulatable function buttons are arranged on one side face of the player or on one surface of the player opposite to and remote from the cassette holder, disadvantages have been found in that both the manipulatable function buttons and the tape cassette loaded in the cassette holder cannot be viewed simultaneously thereby rendering it difficult or inconvenient to manipulate some of the function buttons while the user or operator watches the movement of the magnetic tape from one reel to another within the tape cassette, and in that since some or all of the function buttons protrude outwards a substantial distance from such one side face or such one surface of the player, they tend to provide an obstacle to the smooth insertion of the player into a pocket, bag or flexible case.
In addition, in both types of the prior art compact cassette tape player, a relatively large space is required to accommodate the operating mechanism, thereby hampering the design and manufacture of more compact cassette tape players, and therefore, the compact cassette tape player remains relatively bulky even though minimized in size according to the state of art.